As you probably know, many restaurants in the Atlantic City area affected by Hurricane Sandy are open for business. Some are accepting reservations online, while others may only be able to accept reservations via phone or in person because of outage issues in the area. Dine out and show your support to restaurants who have lost vital days of business, and check back for new additions.

As you probably know, many restaurants in the greater New York metropolitan area affected by Hurricane Sandy are open for business. Some are accepting reservations online, while others may only be able to accept reservations via phone or in person because of outage issues in the area. Dine out and show your support to restaurants who have lost vital days of business, and check back for new additions.

Print restaurant never missed serving a single meal during Hurricane Sandy.

Restaurant Name: PrintLocation: Hell’s Kitchen in New YorkYears in Business: ThreeStatus: Open for business, has phone service, but no Internet access.Damage: None.Losses: None. The restaurant hasn’t closed for a single meal period before, during, or after the storm.Owner: Adam Block

Prior to Sandy, had you ever had to deal with a disaster situation at this or any restaurant?

We were here for Hurricane Irene last year, but the intensity of Sandy was far worse than Irene. And we’ve always had an ongoing issue with the wind on our rooftop. In fact, before we first opened the wind gusts blew a couch off the roof. And, being one block off the Hudson, we have always had a big fear that the water would make it to us.

Did you shut the doors to prepare for the storm?

We stayed open, and we were there morning, noon, and night. Having dealt with Irene, I had the presence of mind on Sunday to order three days of food. We didn’t know if we would lose power, but we have a generator that can run for three or four days. Since we’re in a building with a 220-room hotel, we had guests stranded and it remained that way through Saturday. Most folks couldn’t really get out of town until Thursday, and then we had the marathoners come in, and then they couldn’t get out. So, we’ve been very busy from Monday on.

In the aftermath, the Red Cross has been set up one block away from us, and we are doing free meals for responders. And, we’ve gotten quite a bit of donations for those efforts from our vendors.

What was the actual experience of Sandy like?

Well, the building is an old printing factory and it withstood everything. We worried most about flying debris. There’s construction all over the neighborhood. Sixteen floors up, we have a greenhouse on our roof that is supposed to withstand 110-mile-per-hour winds. My biggest fear was that it would blow off the roof, so I kept the lounge closed, and I had to babysit that all night. It was frightening. As we prepared for the storm and the winds were already growing so loud at 30 and 40 miles per hour, I thought for certain that there would be no way it would withstand 100 mile an hour winds – but it did. It was amazing.

The other thing that was very difficult was that I had 125 employees, and I had to find enough who were willing to stay with me through the storm. It was a logistical nightmare, getting people rooms and pairing people up. But what I learned during Irene is that it was a bonding experience, and I would say the same was true here. Everyone worked together.

As New York City restaurants deal with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, they may find themselves overwhelmed by the many steps they need to take to get and keep their doors open. Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the New York City Hospitality Alliance, and his team have put together acomprehensive, up-to-the-minute recovery resource guide for restaurateurs.

Rigie, who has been organizing outreach efforts on behalf of the Alliance, says, “Different hospitality businesses have been impacted to different degrees. Business owners are asking what are the resources out there, how can I get back open, what can I do about my insurance claims, and what kinds of loans are available.” This guide lists resources for each of those concerns. The Alliance’s efforts extend beyond the guide, naturally. Because of limited power and cell service in Manhattan, he and his team are using social media to reach restaurateurs in need, as well as pounding the pavement and disseminating information. They are also working to coordinate the efforts of restaurateurs interested in helping to feed the hungry.

Where should a restaurateur begin recovery? “First, safety should be the number one concern,” Rigie cautions restaurant operators. “If you’re concerned about your safety or that of your employees, get in touch with the City for assistance. If you’re not sure how to do that, get in touch with us.” Attention should then turn to food safety precautions and reaching out to insurance brokers, making sure to carefully document damage and file claims correctly.

Even restaurants that have been fully operational for several days are meeting challenges, regarding phone and Internet access, and, also, staffing. “Employees want to work, but it’s been getting difficult for many of them to get to the restaurants,” Rigie notes. “Some businesses are using delivery trucks to pick up employees or are offering to reimburse workers for transportation costs,” until transportation systems are fully restored.

Caroline Potter

Caroline Potter is the Chief Dining Officer for OpenTable, Inc. She’s a dining trend-spotter and an OpenTable VIP, who dines out more than she eats in and has accrued more than 10,000 Dining Rewards points. Caroline started working in restaurants as a teen and she's since tackled every front-of-the-house job, from bartender and hostess to runner and server. She trained as a chef at Manhattan’s prestigious French Culinary Institute, cooking at L’Ecole. In addition to her role at OpenTable, she has written about food from farm to table for New York City’s famed Greenmarket and Edible Brooklyn and Edible East End magazines. Caroline is also a Certified Master Gardener.